1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

As Easter approaches, I urge you to heed the words of major Christian leaders and act immediately to end U.S. support for war in Iran and across the region. Pope Leo has made this clear. He called the war “atrocious,” urged President Trump by name to seek “an off-ramp” and “a way to decrease the amount of violence,” and warned that those who wage war have hands “full of blood.” This is the moral teaching of Christianity: peace, restraint, and the preservation of life. In direct opposition, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth invoked Jesus while praying for “overwhelming violence” against enemies, for “those who deserve no mercy,” and declared: “Finish this.” This is a dangerous corruption of Christianity into a theology of war. Rev. Munther Isaac of Bethlehem described this plainly as “two versions of Christianity”: one rooted in Jesus’ message of justice and peace, the other rooted in domination and violence. He reminds us that God stands with the oppressed, not with those carrying out war. Jesus would not support this. Jesus would not bless war, bombardment, siege, or mass killing. Christianity cannot be used to justify violence while claiming moral authority. If you claim to follow Christian values, you must act: • Demand an immediate end to U.S. support for war in Iran • Oppose further military escalation across the region • End U.S. complicity in violence against civilians • Push for immediate ceasefire and de-escalation Easter is a call to reject death and choose life. Stop enabling war. Stop invoking Jesus to justify violence. End this now.